Finally Home
by andinify
Summary: It's the night after graduation when Zach find her, up on the mansion's rooftop. / "I don't care if this is graduation, where everyone thinks high school and all stuff related to it end. I'm not going to lose you today, I don't want to." / ZC fluff. One-shot.


**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I am no Ally Carter, therefore I do not own Gallagher Girls. None of it.

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_I don't wanna lose you now_

_I'm lookin' right at the other half of me_

_The vacancy that sat in my heart_

_Is a space that now you hold_

_Show me how to fight for now_

_And I'll tell you baby, it was easy_

_Comin' back into you once I figured it out_

_You were right here all along_

_**-Mirror**_

_**Justin Timberlake**_

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**Summary**

It's the night after graduation when Zach find her, up on the mansion's rooftop. / "I don't care if this is graduation where everyone thinks high school and all stuff related to it end. I'm not going to lose you today, I don't want to." / ZC fluff.

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This night is beautiful really, the pitch black sky adorned with zillions of stars blinking ever so endlessly.

Graduation took place earlier today. There were some weird glances thrown his way, sure, but Zach ignored them. Of course everyone would question it, why would there be a boy student in an all-girl school? But he's used to ignore what people think of him (sure, being a cocky arrogant jerk like has always been) he didn't even cast those whisperers a single glance. He held his head high, put on masked expression, and all those mysterious-slash-very-cool boy facade necessary.

If only he wasn't trained like he was, Zach is fairly sure he would have cried or something. We're talking about graduation here. A somewhat usual high school graduation, in which in the said stage of education of his, not a single damn time of those span of six years was normal, hence him thinking a tad bit normality wouldn't hurt. Yet, no one was there for him in particular.

But it's all over now. His mother might not be able to make it there (she's held in the safest CIA facility anyway, and it's not like he wanted her to be there), but he has Joe Solomon watching over him, the closest father figure he's ever known in the entirety of his life. Maybe Joe didn't come to the Grand Hall and give him a big hug like all other parents did to their children, but he did give him a massive hug in the secret passageway they agreed to meet in.

It's not a huge deal anyway.

But this: this is a big deal.

It might have been a while since they defeated the Circle, but finding her, on the rooftop alone, still with her graduation attire give him a tiny little heart attack nonetheless.

He is worried; he always has. Someone should always be worried over her.

"Hey, you okay?" He find himself blurting out. His (he still cannot believe he can call her that) girlfriend turns to look at him, completely unfazed by his sudden appearance. After all, she is a spy, one of the greatest living teenage-spy-in-training-who-just-graduated he's ever known. Although maybe it is also suspiciously due to the numerous times of him sneaking up on her she can almost always expect it from him.

"I'm fine." She replies with a smile, a genuine one. Her hand comes out from her black robe, patting the spot next to her. Usually, he invites himself to come close to her. This time? He gladly accepts the invitation.

She doesn't say anything afterwards. Neither does he. When she leans her head on his broad shoulder, he remains silent. He cherishes everytime he get with her, all the time he knows she's safe and sound with him. It doesn't matter that the Circle is gone, he still cares for her safety just like when it was still exist. Who knows if someone out there is still looking for her, lurking in the shadow of revenge.

When he puts his arm around her, she does not object. Even without her saying it aloud, he knows she likes it. Because if she didn't, he surely would have been pinned on the floor by now.

Eventually, he cannot contain it anymore. "Why are you out here?"

Cammie doesn't answer right away, though. She stays silent, unmoving, her breath in steady rhytm as he waits.

"We've graduated, Zach."

It didn't occur to him, she would say that that is what bothering her. He was actually guessing between the memories of what happened throughout the year, or all those things she has done...

"That I noticed. Didn't you see I was out there too? Catching on almost every eyes in the room, you know."

She chuckles. "Oh, yes. The infamous Zachary Goode. What on earth is he doing in Gallagher's graduation? I bet even 75% of the female guests were drooling over you."

He smirks. She sounds so... "Jealous?"

It is very faint, but audible anyway. A snort. "No. Why would I?"

He grins, kissing the top of her head lightly. "Good. Because there's no need for that."

Despite not being able to look at her expression, he knows she is probably bright red right now, blushing furiously, smiling like a maniac. And he's well aware that it is just that kind of effect he has on her.

Knowing very well that she will not be the one to reply to that one first, he opts to ask, "so, what is it again about the fact that we graduated?" Even though it sounds dumb and not-so-goode for his usual brilliant spy-self.

There's a loud sigh as he feels her reaching for his hand. Once it is intertwined with hers, he squeezes it gently, assuring her it's fine to talk. Or to do anything, really.

"What are we going to do? Where are we going from here?"

It's an excellent question. Not an unusual ones, but excellent anyway. Those that certainly will always be on everyone's mind when they're graduating high school. And in spite of his excellence in being a spy who always and supposed to know things, Zach actually does not know what to answer to those questions exactly, let alone if the said questions have double meanings.

"Well, I'm sure you've got a bunch of jobs waiting for you. I mean, you're the famous Chameleon. Daughter of Matthew Morgan and Rachel Cameron, niece of Abigail Cameron. A part of the undercover team who took down the Circle at the age of seventeen. Who wouldn't want you as their-"

"Zach,"

The way she says his name make him a little bit cautious. "Yeah?"

She turns to face him, her soft smile dances on her delicate lips. His gaze then traces her features, her dishwater blond hair that has grown longer, much longer since she came back from her run (he likes it long by the way). Her sparkling blue-grey eyes that seem to be the best thing lighting up his day. He has never understood, really, why would a girl like her even consider him as a boyfriend. Apart from his good looks (which he is not going to deny), he's a douche. He always thought a girl with high standards like Cammie surely would have chosen someone like Jimmy.

To be honest, only by thinking about her all goo-goo with Jimmy boy, realizing that guy has kissed her and held her and made her laugh and all that stuff made his inside boil.

"I said we."

Her voice pulls him back to where he is. He blinks, but now she is no longer looking at him. She looks down, and Zach can even see her cheeks tinged crimson. "You mean as in, you and me?"

Without looking up, she nods. Then gently, he puts his finger under her chin, slowly lifting it up so she can look into his eyes. He doesn't really know exactly what his answer will be, but he lets the words out anyway without thinking.

"I'm not going to say everything will be fine. Because you and I more than anyone here know that. But what I'm sure is," he takes a deep breath before continuing. "That we're always going to try to make us going, both of us. You know I care about you, a lot. And whatever crap that is going to happen from this day on, we're not going to lose each other, alright?"

Her hand has come up as he talks, gathering the shirt over his chest into fist, holding it tightly as if she doesn't want to let go. Honestly, Zach wishes she really didn't.

"But what if-"

"No buts." He cuts her off, lowering his forehead to rest against hers. "I don't care if this is graduation, where everyone thinks high school and all stuff related to it end. I'm not going to lose you today, I don't want to."

There are tears brimming in her eyes, but she doesn't seem to care. A watery smile crosses her features as she looks up. "Neither do I."

They stay like that for another few minutes, her on his lap, long until she finally breaks the silence with something that surprises him more than anything.

"Zach?"

"Hm?"

"I love you."

And it is what finally blow his last self-emotion-defense. Thousands of emotions felt like they're going to explode out of him in any second. He's never felt loved before, not with his cruel, heartless mother. But with Cammie, Joe, and all her best friends, he finally feels like he belongs somewhere. And for once in his life, he finally feels whole. Like he really, and finally has a home. And he doesn't know how else he is supposed to show her just how much she means to him, aside from crushing her against his chest, enveloping her in a huge embrace. He can feel her, clutching to him as if he's her only lifeline, and there's nothing he can do to stop himself from kissing her. His lips brushes her forehead, down to her nose, then finally he captures her lips between his.

It's not rushed. Not filled with lust or hunger either. The kiss is tender, soft, yet pouring out every ounce of feelings they both possess.

When they both finally pull away, he cups her face between his hands, and looks straight into her eyes as he says, "I love you too."

Her smile melts something inside him somewhere, and it feels like it shines brighter than any stars in the sky that night. "I know," she whispers.

The smile is so contagious he can't help but smile back. "Remember one more thing," he begins, taking her hands into his. A questioning gaze is what he gets, so he goes on. "If we're really meant to be, doesn't matter what happen, or how far it is the distance between me and you, even though it's halfway across the world, we're always going to find our way back to each other. And you're always going to have me with you, no matter what."

Merely by the look in her face, he knows he's becoming someone that isn't his usual self. But he doesn't care. Not now.

"I am?"

He nods. His finger then slowly touches the place over where her heart should be. "Here."

Right then, if he thought her previous smile couldn't get any brighter, he was wrong. This time, it does get brighter than before. As if it's lighting up his whole world. And he doesn't regret, not even one bit to let his guard down once. After all, he's risked his life for her, what else he then wouldn't do?

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_**A/N**__: I know I'm supposed to be working on my other stories but… again, for the numerous times, this idea that popped out in midnight didn't exactly want to be ignored._

_And honestly, I'm kind of terrified whether my version of Zach is OOC or not (admit it: he's kinda cheesy here)... hopefully not. What do you think? __Reviews are highly appreciated! :)_


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